The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Quercus phellos, Willow Oak, which has been given the varietal name ‘QPSTB.’
The original tree of this new Willow Oak variety was discovered in 2001 as a chance seedling growing in a cultivated area of a nursery in Oconee County, Ga. It had been purchased as a 12 to 18 inch liner in spring 1995 and at that time planted in a liner field. This tree was transplanted to another field in spring 1997, where it was subsequently discovered in 2001. In December 2003, this tree was transplanted to an observation area where it has remained since that time. It is now 10 years old from a seed. The description of this new Willow Oak variety is based on observations of this original tree and of asexually propagated progeny, produced from softwood cuttings that are being grown at a nursery in Oconee County, Ga.
Common Willow Oak trees are typically a large deciduous tree with a dense, oblong-oval to rounded crown at maturity. On average, it will reach 40 to 60 feet high and 30 to 40 feet wide at maturity, though the largest trees may reach 100 feet in height with an equal spread. Willow Oaks are native to bottomlands, floodplains and adjacent slopes, and rich uplands from New York to Florida, west to Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. It prefers moist, well-drained soil but adapts well to harsh conditions, and are therefore one of the best oaks for the heat, drought, and humidity of the Southeast, while still readily adaptable to the more arid Midwest. Willow Oak species are typically hardy in USDA Zones 5-9, perform best in Zones 6-8, and can survive temperatures as low as −25° F. in (such as Cincinnati, Ohio). Insofar as I am aware, Willow Oak trees which are commercially available are grown from seedling material, creating a high degree of variability in the industry, both in landscape situations and nurseries. Seedling Willow Oak trees are variable in growth rate and habit, typically lacks a central leader, and tends to be open in youth.
This new Willow Oak variety is distinguished from other Willow Oaks known to the inventor by the following unique combination of characteristics: dense canopy, dominant central leader, red fall color (very unique for this species), and relatively fast growth rate. When discovered in 2001, the original tree of this new variety was approximately 15% larger than other Willow Oak trees planted at the same time at the same size in the same group of seedlings.